Fillsafely

ABSTRACT

The FILLSAFELY Electrostatic Discharge Circuit provides a safe electrostatic voltage grounding path, from the hand-held nozzle of typical gasoline pumps, to earth ground. The safe electrostatic voltage discharge is accomplished through a series of two resistors presenting a total resistance &gt;10 megohms, thereby reducing the ESD current flow from a relatively high level, dependent upon the magnitude of the human stored electrostatic charge—to a relatively low level current path, directly to earth ground. This device is essential to preclude fires experienced at gasoline service stations throughout the US when the unsuspecting customer, filling their gas tanks, may unknowingly, possess a ‘self-generated’ human electrostatic charge of up to 35,000 volts. This voltage presently has only one path to ground when the unsuspecting customer, at a typical American gas station, inserts the metal filling nozzle into the gas tank—the path to ground is through the car&#39;s gas tank—with ensuing fire, explosion or both. The electrostatic voltage generated by the person as the result of sliding across the vehicle&#39;s seat, or generation of electrostatic voltage as the result of many other human possibilities, transfers this potentially incendiary voltage to the pump&#39;s nozzle—which is electrically above earth ground—to the car&#39;s frame and gasoline tank. When a customer endeavors to fill, his or her gas tank, the resulting electrostatic charge presently discharges through the gasoline tank, the body of the vehicle and finally the vehicle&#39;s tires, to earth ground. This high level electrostatic voltage coupled with the high resulting electrical current flow, transferred from the customer&#39;s hands to the gas pump nozzle, have on numerous occasions precipitated a vehicular gasoline tank fire, subjecting the customer and other persons within lethal range, to serious burns or death.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

FILLSAFELY doesn't cross reference to, or conflict with any relatedapplications.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

No part of this invention was conceived with the inventor using ideas ormaterials derived from “Federally sponsored research or development.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention (FILLSAFELY) is a new application based upon technologywithin the field of ‘ESD’ (electrostatic discharge), devised to precludedamage to electronic circuits, and—in this specific case prevent injuryand death to people, presently caused by the discharge of ‘humantransferred’ electrostatic voltage, from the gas pump's nozzle throughthe gas tanks of automobiles, while filling their tanks.

I became involved in the development of this device (FILLSAFELY) as theresult of reading articles and observing videos of people who were, andare being severely burned or killed, because of gasoline pump fires thatbegan as the result of high-level electrostatic voltages being presenton the gasoline pump filling hose metallic nozzle, that presentlydischarge though the auto's gas tank to ground, when the nozzle isinserted into the gas tank's filling device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

FILLSAFELY is designed to safely discharge to electrical ground anyelectrostatic voltages that are transferred from the body of the personfilling their vehicle's gas tank to the gasoline pumps metallic fillingnozzle. The discharge of the electrostatic voltage to electrical groundremoves the possibility of a discharge path of incendiary electricalcurrent through the vehicle's gasoline tank with subsequent ignition,explosion and fire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

1/1 Remote Control Interrogator, Dimensional Drawing

FIG. 1 Functional Block Diagram

FIG. 2 Schematic Diagram

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FILLSAFELY is an electronic system designed to eliminate death andinjury to persons filling the gasoline tanks of their vehicles throughthe provision of a safe discharge path for high-level electrostaticvoltage to electrical ground. It has been demonstrated and documented ina variety of media, both print and video, that Americans are injuringand killing themselves while filing their vehicle's gasoline tanks atfueling stations throughout the nation.

The problem lies in the transfer of high-level electrostatic voltagesfrom the persons filling their gas tanks to the metallic nozzle of thegasoline pump's filling nozzle. With the present gasoline stationconfiguration in the United States, high-level electrostatic voltage hasa single path for discharge to electrical ground; that path toelectrical ground is through the gasoline tank of the person's vehicle.High-level electro static current through the vehicle's gasoline tankignites the gasoline with subsequent injury or death to the personfilling their gasoline tanks.

The provision of an alternate path to electrical ground for theelectrical current generated as the result of the transfer ofelectrostatic voltage from the person filling their gasoline tank to themetallic nozzle of the gasoline pump's filling hose eliminates thepossibility of the ignition of the gasoline at the terminus of thefilling hose nozzle, thus precluding injury to the person filing theirvehicle's gasoline tank.

FILLSAFELY provides a method to accomplish the safe filing of vehiculargasoline tanks at filling stations throughout America:

FILLSAFELY provide an immediate solution to the problem of gasoline pumpfilling hoses igniting the gasoline with subsequent death and injury.This method is graphically displayed in the Functional Block Diagram inDrawing 1/1, FIG. 1. An electrostatic voltage grounding wire isphysically attached to the existing filling station gasoline pump'sfilling nozzle, and secured along the filling hose using Velcro, or anyother equally secure holding device. One end of the electrostaticvoltage grounding wire is secured to the filling hose's metallic nozzle,while the other end of the filling hose grounding wire is connected toelectrical ground, through a circuit box containing two resistors, whichare placed in series between the metallic filling nozzle and electricalground. The physical electrical grounding is provided by the insertionof a copper grounding rod into the earth, in close proximity to thefilling station's gasoline pump(s).

In the event an electrostatic voltage is humanly transferred to themetallic gasoline filling nozzle the voltage now has a direct path toelectrical ground through the grounding wire secured to the gasolinepump's filling hose, then through the two series resistors to electricalground that is provided by the installed copper grounding rod. Theelectrical discharge path through the resistor network is graphicallydisplayed in Drawing 1/, FIG. 2.

The direct discharge path to electrical ground eliminates thepossibility of ignition of the gasoline (vapors) precluding theinitiation of a fire—at the gasoline pump's metallic nozzle. The presentelectrostatic voltage grounding configuration, at filing stationsthroughout the United States, provides an electrostatic voltagedischarge path through the vehicle's gasoline tank to ground. Thisconfiguration presents the continuing possibility of injury or death, byexplosion and subsequent fire; the existing causes filling theirvehicle's gasoline tank that

Reconfiguring the present electrostatic voltage discharge path, that isused in gasoline filling stations across America—to a direct, safe pathas suggested in this application, will eliminate the possibility ofinjury or death, to people filling their vehicle's gasoline tank.

1. While there are written warnings at gasoline filling stationsconcerning the dangers of electrostatic voltage discharge, there ispresently no known system installed to automatically protect America'sdrivers from injury and death, caused by fire and explosion resultingfrom the human transferred, electrostatic voltage discharge through thevehicle's gas tank. The FILLSAFELY system provides, through the designof a safe electrostatic voltage grounding path, the capability ofautomatically protecting America's millions of automobile drivers, frominjury or death, presently caused by America's gasoline filling stationsnot having the proper electrostatic voltage grounding circuitryavailable to automatically protect their customers from the resultinghazards of fire and explosion.